


Boys, Books and Broken Hearts

by lil_1337



Series: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas [1]
Category: Peanuts
Genre: F/M, Friendship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-15
Updated: 2014-02-15
Packaged: 2018-01-12 13:11:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1186714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_1337/pseuds/lil_1337





	Boys, Books and Broken Hearts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mookie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mookie/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1157572) by [Mookie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mookie/pseuds/Mookie). 



“Why do they make us do this every year?” Charlie Brown sighed and added another circle to the spiral that he was drawing on his paper. It was creeping up on the outer edge and in danger of running over onto the coffee table despite the way the lines got closer together as they moved away from the center. “No one takes it seriously. Everyone waits until the last week of break to even look at the book. You'd think the teachers would have figured out that the winter break book report was a bad idea back when we were in elementary school.”

Linus glanced away from the video game he was playing and flashed a smile. “I finished mine the first week. Monday night, actually.”

Charlie Brown sighed then muttered under his breath. “Of course you did.” Louder he added. “Overachievers don't count.”

Linus smirked, his eyes fixed on the digital car that he was maneuvering around barricades and up ramps in an attempt to maintain his first place position. “Schroeder's done too.”

“That's your influence. He's usually is up late finishing on Sunday night along with the rest of us.” Charlie Brown balled up the paper he was drawing on and tossed it towards the trash can. It bounced off the rim and joined the small pile of its brethren on the floor. He sighed again, deeper this time, then wrote his name on the upper right hand corner of the next page of the small stack in front of him.

“It's not me.” Linus' smirk morphed into something soft and dreamy. “He had a young musician's workshop this weekend and his mom said he had to finish his book report or he couldn't go.”

“When did he finish?” Charlie Brown carefully printed the words _Winter Break Book Report_ across the top of the page.

“About one this morning. He texted me to say he was done and would be gone for most of the weekend.”

“So it was the same as finishing after midnight on Sunday.” Charlie Brown tapped his pursed lips with his pen before starting to write.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Linus conceded the point graciously. “But either way, it's done and that's what counts.”

Silence settled over the room, broken only by the scratching of a pen on paper and the muted sounds of the game. After a few minutes Linus set the controller down and stretched out his legs. “I think Lucy's mad at me.”

“Because you're already done with your book report?”

Linus snorted and shook his head. “No, she was finished before I even started.”

“Your whole family is filled with overachievers.”

“Not Rerun. He hasn't even read his book yet.”

“It's good to know that someone is farther behind than I am.” Charlie Brown frowned at the partially covered page in front of him. “Why would she be mad at you?”

“Schroeder.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Linus picked up the controller and toyed with it before setting it back down on the carpet next to him. “It's not like I meant for it to happen. He kissed me first. I mean I wanted him to and I really like him, but I was not going to make an actual move or anything. I knew he was gay and everything, but part of me still figured he'd end up with Lucy. The whole thing is weird. Good, but still really weird.”

Charlie Brown nodded his understanding and sympathy. “Have you tried talking to her about it?”

Linus shrugged. “No, not really. Every time I've brought it up she cuts me off and gets all defensive and snotty. There's no talking to her when she's like that.”

“Maybe she's embarrassed.” Charlie Brown mused. “She was shocked to find out how long I had known that Schroeder was gay.”

“She tends to see what she wants to see.”

“And then bends the world to fit with what she expects it to be.”

“Yeah.” Linus smiled ruefully. “But not everyone is willing to change themselves so they fit in her world view.”

“I know.” Charlie Brown spun his pen in his fingers. “But Lucy's never really had to deal with that before. Everyone has always been careful to show her what she expects.”

“That's because she's scary as hell when things don't go her way.”

“Well, yeah, we all know that, but Schroeder's always done his own thing no matter what anyone else thinks. Seriously, what other kid do you know that played Beethoven on a toy piano? Even when other kids teased him about it he just shrugged and went back to playing.”

“That's the truth.” Linus didn't hide his amusement or affection. “I think that is one of the reasons that Lucy liked him. She couldn't bend him to her will.”

Charlie Brown considered for a moment then smiled a tiny uplifting of his lips. “I think you might be right.”

Linus frowned, eyes narrowing as he studied his friend's face. After a moment he relaxed and let a grin dance across his lips. He picked up the controller and turned back towards the tv. As he pressed the button to restart the game he shot a smirk at Charlie Brown. “You better finish your book report. Lucy won't date anyone who isn't on honor roll.”

Charlie Brown picked up his pen, ducking his head to hide the blush crawling across his face, and got back to work with a brand new sense of motivation.


End file.
